American Computer Science League

Newsletter #2

February 2008

 

CONTEST #3

The end date for Contest #3 is March 7th. It is very important to get the results of Contest #3 to ACSL as soon as possible since the invitations for most teams to the ACSL All-Star Contest are based on the Contest #3 results. The question set for Contest #4 will be sent by e-mail shortly after March 7th.

 

ACSL WEB SITE

The scores for Contest #2 for both teams and individuals will be posted on our web site www.acsl.org. .  If you note a missing score, an incorrect score or a misspelled name, please contact ACSL and we will make the corrections.

 

APPEALS

Although there was some wording issues on some questions that were handled on an individual basis, there were no valid appeals in any of the divisions for Contest #2.

 

STUDENT PROGRAMS

Students, their parents and advisors like to see their student's programs posted to our web site.  To insure that a program has a chance for selection, prior to submitting the code for those students who scored a 10, please insure that the following information is in the heading of the code:

 

·        The student’s name

·        The school name

·        The student’s division

 

SCORESHEETS

Please use the ACSL scoresheet when submitting scores.  Send it as an attached .doc file and not pasted into the body of the e-mail message.  The uniformity of score sheets decreases the number of entry errors. Also, Starting with Contest #2 you need to record cumulative scores for both team scores and individual student scores on all scoresheets. The cumulative score acts as a double check that scores have been recorded accurately.

 

 

ALL-STAR CONTEST

The site of the 2008 ACSL Invitational All-Star Contest is Marriotts Ridge HS, 12100 Woodford Rd, Marriottsville, MD. Reg Hahne is the host school advisor and can be reached at 410-313-5568 or at rhahne@hcpss.org. The contest date is Saturday, May 24th.

The All-Star Contest starts at 8:30 AM and ends at approximately 5:30 PM. Lunch is provided at the contest site. Breakfast is not available.

Here is the information which you will need to make travel arrangements this year:

The hotel is the Holiday Inn BWI Airport Hotel. The hotel has free shuttle service back and forth to the hotel and also to the metro bus or train station for a very easy commute to Washington DC. Baltimore and Washington DC (both within a 45 minute drive) are very popular cities to visit in May so please make your hotel reservations as soon as possible.

Please call this hotel directly at 1-410-859-8400 and ask for the Reservations Department. The best time to call is Monday through Friday from 9AM until 5PM and identify yourself as being part of the AMERICAN COMPUTER SCIENCE LEAGUE (ACSL) to get the best rate of $85.00 per room per night plus taxes. At the time you make your reservation, please request a room with 1 or 2 beds. Your reservation must be guaranteed with your credit card. PLEASE REQUEST AN E-MAIL OR FAX CONFIRMATION OF YOUR RESERVATION FROM THE HOTEL AND MAKE SURE YOU RECEIVE IT. This will be your only proof of a reservation and bring it with you when you check in.

Reservations must be made by Monday, April 28, 2008 for the $85.00 rate and cancellation is at least 3 days in advance or a 1 night penalty charge of room and taxes will be charged to your credit card.

If you run into any problems or have any concerns about the hotel, please call our travel consultant, Elana at Birkmayer Travel. Her phone
number is 518-271-6863 and her e-mail address is Elana@BirkmayerTravel.com.

This year, Elana has also arranged guaranteed car reservations through Hertz. Please call Hertz at 1-800-654-3131 or the Hertz web site,
www.hertz.com or the above attachment and give the code CV#022Q4020 for the least expensive rates. Hertz will compare our conference rates to every available discounted rate they offer and give you the least expensive rate for your request.

Also, if your school would like Elana to put together a personalized air quote for you, please, please first check to see if your school will
allow you to purchase air tickets from a travel agency not in your school district. If your school allows this, please contact Elana at 518-271-6863 or Elana@BirkmayerTravel.com

For the past 17 years ACSL has used the same travel agent to find the best group rates at hotels close to our Al-Star Contest sites. Elana Glinert has done an excellent job of getting ACSL the best prices available. The staff that runs ACSL has used Elana for personal travel also. If you are in need of a travel agent to assist in any of your All-Star Contest plans, we highly recommend her services.

ALL-STAR CONTEST COMPUTERS

The agreement with Marriotts Ridge HS only allows for a limited number of computers.  The vast majority of those will go to the teams coming from Europe.  Teams should plan to supply their own computers this year.  Please start planning now to insure that your invited teams will have computers.

 

GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS

ACSL has grouped the teams in the various divisions into geographic regions.  The purpose of the regions is to create more places where ACSL can award prizes.  The highest scoring team in each region will be awarded a plaque.  The highest scoring student (s) in each region will also be awarded a plaque.  In the event of ties, duplicate awards will be made.  Most of the above awards will be presented at the All-Star Contest in May.  Plaques will be mailed to those not present.